As a global volunteer organization, we pride ourselves on partnering with local NGOs and public institutions in India to ensure that volunteers are providing for the specific needs in the region and that they are fully supported by our in-country staff throughout their journey. This is why we are confident in stating that we run some of the best volunteer programs both around the world and in India. Whichever volunteer job you sign up for with GVI, you can be confident that you are working toward lasting positive impact.

Many volunteers make the trip to India to experience some of the many tourist sites this popular destination has to offer. GVI participants on a volunteer holiday to India can use the weekends to explore the city or town where they are stationed or even join other volunteers to tour the rest of the country.

No matter where you are at in your academic or professional journey, if you are trying to find out how to volunteer in India, simply submit an application form requesting to join one of our projects and we will be in touch shortly.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN INDIA

We offer a variety of community development volunteer opportunities in Kochi in the Kerala province. These include Global Health, Teaching and Women's Empowerment initiatives.

As a GVI healthcare volunteer in India, you will be working with specialist educators and therapists at a local special needs school and at a community center for persons with disabilities in Kochi, Kerala. You will help both children and adults master self-care practices and vocational techniques that will help them with living more independently. You might also help with conducting WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) workshops to ensure better preventative health awareness in the communities in and around Kochi. No previous medical or healthcare experience is required and all training will be provided before joining the project. This is the perfect project for someone who is both interested in South Indian culture and is considering a career either in occupational therapy or public health.

GVI volunteers working to improve gender equality in India will be stationed in the port city of Kochi, Kerala. Volunteers will not only work with women, but also girls, boys, and men, in an attempt to tackle gender inequality holistically. Volunteers might help girls improve their literacy skills and provide other kinds of educational support or they help local women improve their knowledge of best business practices for running a small handicraft business as well as healthcare practices for women and infants. They might also conduct workshops with boys and men to discuss topics like gender norms. Whatever the exact nature of the project, your aim will be to ensure that girls and women are more aware of their own potential and have access to more opportunities than before. This is an excellent program for gender studies students as well as those looking to explore fields like education, public health, social work, law or even business.

International volunteers partnering with GVI on education projects in India will work in the city of Kochi, Kerala. Improving the conversational and academic English language skills of students in preschool up until sixth Grade is the main focus of these projects. Volunteers will help teach in a classroom setting at a local care center or tutor students who require additional support in one-on-one classes. In many of the community where you will work, there is a lot of pressure for older students to leave school in order to start earning a living. Part of your role will also be to create awareness around the opportunities that further education offers. Participants on the project can either choose a volunteer placement of two weeks or more or a teaching internship starting at twenty-four weeks.

OUR LOCATION IN INDIA

We run all our own our sustainable development projects around the world and our projects in India are no except. Currently, we have one base in India, Kochi in the Kerala province. Kochi is the base for our community development projects, that include Women's Empowerment, Teaching, and Global Health initiatives.

Kochi is a vibrant coastal city in the South of India. Shaped by diverse influences over many centuries, Kochi is a cultural mecca perched on the edge of the Arabian sea. Learn more about the history of the city by visiting the old city of Fort Kochi where you can visit a Kathakali dance performance, try your hand at using the iconic Chinese fishing nets, or explore a Jain temple, a Portuguese capel and a Jewish synagogue all in one district. You can also venture further out to explore the famously gorgeous Keralan landscape, by taking a riverboat cruise into Periyar National Park.